


5 Times Al Carried Ed and 1 the Other Way Around

by TheLonelyTree



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1 Things, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Fluff, Ed and Al acting like brothers because I can't find enough of those fics, Fluff, Gen, I lied, Protective Alphonse Elric, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but it ends in fluff, theres some angst too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:40:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24759469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLonelyTree/pseuds/TheLonelyTree
Summary: Title says it all. 5+1 things fic. This is a bad summary but...
Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Edward Elric
Comments: 10
Kudos: 100





	1. Chapter 1

Alphonse was 10 and he already felt like his world was destroyed. His mother was dead, killed a second time by her children. He had lost his body to the transmutation and been forced into a metal encasing. And, most prominently, his free spirited brother was broken. Broken beyond repair, it seems.

His normally shining eyes were ringed with shadows caused by sleepless nights and the guilt at what they had done.

His loud voice, filled with excitement and wonderful personality was dulled down into meek murmurings.

His confident smile had all but disappeared.

When Edward lost his limbs it felt like they took his soul with them.

The thought on Alphonse’s mind lately was that he was to blame. 

It had started when he’d heard his brother talking animatedly for what felt like the first time in forever. Alphonse felt like his heart swelled, even if he didn’t have the body to prove so. He’d rushed into the dining room to see what made his brother so happy.

Abruptly, the cheerful noises quieted down, and Edward turned his head warily to him, looking at him with a pained expression. “Hey Al,” he tried, giving him a wobbly smile, but it was obviously forced.

The sudden disquiet within the room was evidently caused by him. Alphonse spoke softly, trying to comfort his brother, but the mood of the room was permanently changed. Al watched as his brother fell asleep in tears that night. 

The second time it happened was when Edward fell sick with a fever, calling out for his brother. Alphonse jumped to comfort, making it to his beside in seconds. The sick boy had reached out his hand, grasping for another to meet it. The suit of armor was quick to comply, grasping the smaller hand in his gauntlets.

Edward had pulled away, cries becoming louder, calling for his brother but shrugging off all contact made by him. It wasn’t until Winry and Pinako came into the room, placing their warm, soft,  _ flesh _ hands in his own, that he calmed down.

Alphonse knew that his brother was adverse to his metal body, so he became scarce in his second home, hoping to soothe his own guilt by exploring the expansive fields of Resembool.

He’d discovered hiding places and giant pits and even a family of rabbits, but nothing compared to having his brother by his side. He wondered, had he not been trapped in this suit of armor, would he and Ed be exploring these together?

As he entered the Rockbell house, trying to tone down the clanking of his metal appendages, he took note of his brother by the window… stuck in that awful wheelchair… trapped. His gaze was pointed towards the grassy fields and blue skies. Alphonse remembered how much he loved to play - even more than he loved alchemy.

Making his decision in a split second he marched over to his brother, startling the elder out of his thoughts. “Come on brother, we’re going outside.”

Without waiting for his response, the younger grabbed ahold of the chair, steering his brother towards the door.

It only took a few minutes for them to make a game of it, racing the chair as fast as they could across the field. Alphonse looked down at his older brother, noticing the wide smile on his face and listening happily as the elder screamed in excitement.

Alphonse felt fuzzy at the thought of his idea being the cause.

It wasn’t long though, until misfortune struck. They hit a pothole and the chair bounced. It took Al less than a second to choose between the chair and his brother, reaching out and grabbing the other’s torso. The chair flew into the air and came crashing down.

There was a wheezing sound, and Al thought that he’d accidentally hurt his brother, still not being used to the strength of his new body, but the wheezing turned to chuckles, which turned to full out laughter.

He couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Glumily though, he noted that the chair was broken, a wheel was missing and the arm was snapped off. “I don’t think we’ll be able to bring you back on this, brother,” he said. “I’ll have to carry you.”

Adjusting his hold on Ed, from the strange stomach hold to a bridal carry, he leaned down and picked up the broken pieces of the wheelchair. He fumbled a bit with the wheel, not having any particular dexterity with grabbing multiple things at once.

“Here, Al, let me help,” Ed offered, holding out his remaining arm. Alphonse let out a grateful breath, trying to convey his thankfulness through the only expressive feature he had, his eyes. His brother grasped the wheel, and then tucked himself into the metal arm more securely.

“You know, Al,” he said, “Playing with you earlier was fun, but I think I like this even more.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or FMA:B

Edward’s loud snores filled the passenger booth of the train, steering Al in the direction of heavy thoughts. It did give Alphonse some peace of mind to see his brother relaxing for once, taking a break from the constant physical therapy and studying that had been distracting him for the past couple of weeks (months).

And he did find happiness in the thought that Edward was moving forward from their trauma, he really did, but it was still a depressing thought that, if Ed did pass the State Alchemy Exam, there would be less times like this. Instead, he’d have to watch as his brother burdened more than his fair share of worries, stressing over both Alphonse and his job. Would brother still be able to sleep on the train so contently if he knew that the lives of others were dependent on him?

And that was it, wasn’t it? Edward was already crippled with guilt when it came to Alphonse - a situation that they both put themselves into despite the others’ denials - so what would become of him if he wasn’t successful and somebody got hurt?

He knew his brother. He knew his brother better than probably himself. So he could say, without a doubt, that if Edward ever got into a situation where others were in danger, and one of them got hurt, he’d blame himself. And what would happen if someone he’d gotten close to died? Alphonse shuddered at the thought. For all of Ed’s tough love act, it was only an act. He cared so deeply about those he surrounded himself with. It just wouldn’t be fair to take another person away from their lives. Not with mom, not with the Rockbells, and even Dad now missing.

He looked down at his brother’s sleeping face, for once not pinched with stress. Deep down, Alphonse knew that if brother could reject the idea of becoming a state alchemist, he would. Edward could never put himself in a situation where he’d have to kill others. He’d fight, tooth and nail, kicking and screaming.

But orders were orders. And Alphonse knew that Ed would do  _ anything _ to help him. It made his non-existent heart ache to think of the sacrifices that Edward would be making while he sat on the sidelines, watching his brother tear himself apart.

_ Brother won’t have to worry about that if he’s longer alive to witness it, _ a twisted voice sing-sung inside his head. This brought a whole new load of worry. Everyday, Edward would be putting himself in danger, making himself a target to criminals and enemies of the state. Though Al had the utmost confidence in his brother’s abilities, had even been there to witness them himself, he knew that his brother was still human, his metal flesh only making it that much more apparent. Bullet holes weren’t something that you could just walk away from. 

But Alphonse also knew that this was the only way. How else were they supposed to get money for research? How else were they to get access to the books they needed? How else were they supposed to research such a coveted secret without drawing attention?

_ How else were they supposed to return themselves to normal? _

As Alphonse looked over the sleeping face of his brother, he wondered all these things.

A jarring voice cut into his darkening thoughts, saving him from even more sadness and worry. It was the conductor, his tone crackly over the booth speaker. “We are now arriving at Central Station,” it said.

This was their stop. It was the last escape they had until their lives changed forever. A selfish part of Alphonse wanted to grab his brother and leave, at least delaying until it was too late to take the exam. The thought was almost immediately dismissed, guilt ramming into the metal armor like a freight train.

He couldn’t do that to brother. He couldn’t prolong Ed’s suffering. If becoming a state alchemist was what it truly took to get their bodies back, then he couldn’t stand in their way. Not when it was Edward who made himself sick with guilt over that night. He already couldn’t stand that he was the source of his brother’s misery. How could he think to take an active part in it?

The hulking armor bent down to softly shake his brother awake, rousing words already on the tip of his tongue, but stopped just before he could make contact.

He thought of Edward’s small form, finally lax of tension. His lips parted slightly, emitting reverberating snores instead of pained moans. The bags under his eyes, lightened as he got some well deserved rest.

Making his choice, Alphonse turned around and hefted his brother onto his back, miraculously not waking him up. He then reached up to grab Ed’s luggage, pausing in trepidation when he heard the smaller move on his plating. Much to his glee, however, Edward had only been searching for a more comfortable spot, snuggling into his shoulder. How this was comfortable, he didn’t know, but he felt warm like only his real body did whenever Ed relaxed in his hold.

As he made his way onto the station, he adjusted his hold on his still sleeping brother, knowing that he would need the rest for the days to come. There was no doubt in his mind that Edward would pass the test. The invigilators would have to be blind to miss talent like his. But there was still the lingering doubt about what was to come.

To be honest, he didn’t think he’d ever be free of it.

To satiate his own worries, Alphonse made a promise. A promise to always stay by his brother’s side, no matter what. They’d always bear their burdens together. If Ed didn’t want him to become a state alchemist, that’s fine, but he’d have to make do with his brother tagging along with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so these are kinda really angsty. Like way more than I intended, but oh well. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Tell me if you think these are out of character because this is my first time writing Al's POV.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last two were just so angsty, so I made a really light chapter. Enjoy!  
> ***  
> Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or FMA:B

“NO! I DON’T CARE WHAT THAT JERK SAYS, I’M NOT GONNA!”

Alphonse sighed, “You can and you will, brother.”

The blonde alchemist crossed his arms and let out a huff. “I refuse.”

The suit of armor looked his brother up and down, sizing him up. Discretely inching towards him, Al started, “Look, brother, I know that this is more… ostentatious than necessary, but we can’t just run away every time Colonel Mustang gives you an order you don’t agree with.”

“I’m not running away.” Liar. He didn’t make eye contact.

Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, the younger alchemist continued to prod at his brother (“oh  _ sure _ you weren’t”) while he slowly closed the distance.

“I wasn’t!” Ed responded - suspiciously quick, might Alphonse add. “I was only waiting for him to finish his goddamn paper work so that I could punch the bastard without Hawkeye blowing a hole in me.”

During that particular explosion of indignation, the suit of armor had been able to move a whole foot closer. He was just out of reach of the other Alchemist. “So you were running away from the First Lieutenant then.”

“What? No! It was a tactical decis- what are you planning?”

Dang it. He hadn’t gotten a chance to move. Trying his luck, he spoke once more, his voice the perfect example of innocence, or so he’d been told. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just think that if you keep refusing direct orders from the Colonial, then he might begin to believe that we aren’t worth keeping around. Not with all the property damage and all.”

“That was one time!” Ed raised his hand in what would have been an extravagant gesture, only to stop about halfway through. “Hey, wait a sec. You can’t change the topic like that and expect to get away with it. Now tell me what you’re gonna do.”

“Honestly brother, you’re so accusative. Am I not allowed to express my opinion every once in a while?”

Ed narrowed his eyes. “See, this is what I mean. Why are you so fixated on this? I would think that’d you’d be even more against it than I am, considering it’s just a waste of time. If anything, you seem to enjoy this more than the bas-”

The blonde cut off abruptly, and Al could tell the exact moment he realized. Golden eyes widened, and the smaller body jerked to turn around, only to be stopped before he could by a pair of very strong, very big metal arms.

“No no no no!” He cried, kicking and thrashing with the only free limbs he had. A hollow clanging was heard as the metal armor made his way back to Eastern Command. “You wouldn’t do this to me Al. Come on. I’m your older brother. You wouldn’t betray me like this, right?”

His struggles increased tenfold as they entered the building, forgoing words altogether in favor of wild screeching. A few of the staff turned their heads, questioning glances trailing the brothers’ backs.”Quiet down, brother. People are beginning to stare.” Ed gave him a headbutt for that. Though, it did more damage to the blonde than it ever did to him.

At one point, Ed had wiggled enough to break free, on the run the instant his feet touched the floor. The smaller alchemist was faster and would have undoubtedly gotten away if not for the subject of Edward’s ire.

“Why hello, Fullmetal. I didn’t think you’d be this enthusiastic to show up here.” Alphonse released an inward sigh of relief at the sight of the familiar man, supporting a rather smug grin on the face. The pause it took for Edward to process his anger was all Al needed to snag the back of his collar.

“It’s nice to see you, Colonel. Brother and I were just heading over to the western corridor.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you for chaperoning him.” Both ignored the blonde’s outraged cries. “I saw the group earlier myself, and I must say that they’re pretty excitable. I’m feeling a little guilty for assigning them to Fullmetal here, but it should be nothing for the famous ‘Hero of the People’” The man pulled out his watch. “Ahh, well I better go. Lunch break is almost over. They sure do keep us on a short leash here, don’t they Fullmetal?”

“What’s that supposed to mean!” Did Alphonse ever say that he felt relieved at the Colonel's presence? He wanted to take that back. Edward was even more riled up than before. Scooping up the other into his arms, he set off again, closing his ears off to the string of curses that would surely accompany him.

Alphonse saw the tour group before Ed did, and thus was able to catch the elder’s grumbles about turning him into a wastebasket(?) before the blonde would surely panic again.

Ed, however, did not scream or kick or run or anything of the sort. Instead, he froze for a bit before calmly tapping on the younger’s chestplate, signaling to be let down. Distrustfully, Al did so.

The younger Elric was so preoccupied with watching the other’s body language for signs of fleeing, that he did not see the shit eating grin plastered on the other’s face. Alphonse watched as his brother stepped to the side and held out his arms in a presenting manner. Alphonse watched (confusedly) as his brother looked up at him and winked.

There was a rough coughing as Edward cleared his throat. “Sorry if we kept you waiting guys. It’s just that Eastern Command was short on staff and decided to bring you something a little special today. May I present to you the Fullmetal Alchemist.”

A hoard of screaming fans descended on the unfortunate suit of armor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta get that playful sibling bond in there. It's not as fun if they're serious all the time. Hope you liked!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or FMA:B  
> ***  
> Enjoy!

A warm light drifted across the pavement, casted by row upon row of street lamps. No figures got in the way, projecting shadows with their terrifying shapes.

In Central, there was always this ominous feeling. A warning just screaming to be heeded. To be cautious. A warning that there was something lurking around the corner.

Tonight there wasn’t.

The lack of people should have been disturbing, but the distant sound of pots clanging and children laughing within households blocked out that foreboding aura. This also left them away from prying eyes - innocent in their intentions, but deadly in their effect. Alphonse  _ should _ be content.

But he’s not.

How could he be when his four foot eleven, spitfire of an older brother looked like he’d been forced to drink an entire gallon of milk?

It seemed that his brother’s mood was destined to grow darker by the minute. First, he wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning, ending up over an hour late to his meeting with Colonel Mustang. Then, he wouldn’t touch his food, saying it looked too nauseating to eat (Alphonse spent many minutes apologizing to the deli worker for Edward’s behavior). It all escalated to him snapping at an old lady and her granddaughter on the train. The little girl started crying!

So no. Alphonse was not happy.

“It’s a beautiful night, brother. We are going to spend it outside,” Alphonse said. Then, as an afterthought (but no less important), “and your attitude is going to change.”

Edward looked up at him, indignation shining bright in his eyes. He opened his mouth to refute, and Al prepared himself for the tirade, but he closed his lips before a sound got out. The elder of the two grimaced, and lowered his head in defeat. “Yeah, you're probably right. I haven’t been the best of company today… sorry, Al.”

The armor in question perked up, pleasantly surprised at the admission. “It’s okay brother!” He leaned low, pointing a finger out. “But you better make it up to me on our walk.”

Ed’s eyes moved, peeking out at him from under his bangs, before his head turned away entirely. In a low, reluctant voice, the Fullmetal Alchemist said, “It’s just that… it’s gonna rain soon.”

Alphonse was confused for a second, kind of mad at his brother for making an obvious lie -  _ there were no clouds in the sky _ \- before he realized what that sentence entailed. 

“Have you been hurting all day?” he asked, much more understanding than before. Alphonse couldn’t see Edward’s face. He couldn’t read the obvious signs: the tight mouth, the wandering eyes, the creeping blush. The hunching of his shoulders, however, indicated that Edward obviously had, all the same.

“Brother!” he chided, in the same tone that mom would use when they did something stupid, “why didn’t you tell me!”

“It’s fine, Al,” came the embarrassed reply. “All we were gonna do was rent an apartment for the night anyways. It wasn’t like we were getting into anything dangerous.”

“That doesn’t count as an excuse!”

The older boy turned around. “What do you mean it doesn’t? It’s not like it’s important right now.”

Alphonse repressed a sigh. “I should have known. You’re always cranky, but it’s never really bad unless you’re in pain.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!”

“Here.” He lowered himself to the ground until he was in a crouch. “Get on.”

Al heard the embarrassed choke behind him. “I’m fine, Alphonse. Let’s just go on that walk.”

He shook his helmet. “If it really is about to rain, then your ports have to be aching awfully. It just wouldn’t be fair to you to make you stay out any later. Right now, we should get you home and get you taken care of. I’m not having your leg give out and you getting a concussion.”

Edward sighed and hesitated a few seconds longer before giving up and getting on his younger brother’s back. “I’m fine walking, you know.”

“Mhm,” Alphonse agreed.

“I’m serious. I just couldn’t pass up on a free ride. Didn’t wanna spend the energy.”

“Of course.”

Alphonse hefted him up, earning a rather undignified squeak. He saw more than felt the arms wrapping around his neck.

Sometimes he felt like his brother was the one made of metal, not him. It was like he wrapped himself and armor and never let anyone else in. Alphonse liked to think that he was the exception, but could he really believe that when Ed couldn’t even share his sufferings?

“Hey, what are you thinking about?” Edward had adjusted himself to sit on his shoulders, seemingly at ease for the time being. “We should probably get going. As empty as it is, standing on the streets is still gonna draw some weird glances.”

“Oh… right… sorry.” He began to walk, grabbing his brother’s leg with his gauntlet (a habit he still hadn’t gotten rid of from his human body).

When they arrived at the apartment, Alphonse set Edward down, noticing the small wince upon doing so. He couldn’t miss the slight hobble in his brother’s steps as he made his way to the waiting bed.

“Do you need help with anything?”

Ed looked up, the beginnings of a blush on his cheeks. “Uh, I wouldn’t mind a cup of water.”

Alphonse left and returned with the requested drink. After a small clap, the cup was abandoned on the floor, steam drifting up from it. “Ahhh, that feels so much better.”

Alphonse wanted to smile, glad that he could do something to help. Instead, he had to settle for looking at his brother fondly.

“So, today on the train…” he began, internally smiling as Edward took the bait.

_ It’s okay to admit to pain, brother. _

_ Because, I’ll stay right by your side. _

_ No matter what. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or FMA:B

“Al, let me down.”

“Not now, brother.”

“Aaaaaaallllllllllllll.”

“ _ Not now _ .”

“Ugh. People are staring.”

Alphonse looked up at the sentence in question. He’d never known his brother to get embarrassed over stuff like that. He said as much.

“Shut up! I’m not embarrassed. It’s just that I’m the Alchemist of the people. I have to make sure they don’t see me as a little kid who can’t even walk out in the rain.”

Alphonse laughed a little. “They won’t, Ed. They’d just respect your intelligence in choosing to avoid the wrath of a certain automail mechanic, lest she finds out that you got her automail rusty.”

Al heard his brother blow a large breath onto his helmet. “She doesn’t have to find out.”

“She  _ will _ find out. And when she does find out, you’ll meet an untimely death via wrench.”

The armor listened fondly as his brother ranted about Winry’s gear-head quirks.

Ok, so  _ maybe _ protecting his brother wasn’t the only reason he wasn’t letting him go. Maybe it had to do with their last mission, and how he had almost lost his brother when he let him wander out of his sight. Maybe he was too scared to let that happen again.

_ But… _

...Ed didn’t have to know.

“Trust me brother, I’m doing this for your own good. We can’t have the famous hero of the people walking around with a hole the size of a wrench in his head.”

“It’s never a hole. It’s always a bump.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want to have that either.” Images of his brother, bloody, bruised, and beaten flashed before his head. It was probably not a good idea to continue on with this particular topic. “Hey, your report isn’t going to be soaked by the rain, isn’t it?”

“What? Oh. No, it’s fine. I slaved for hours over that thing. I wasn’t going to let that go to waste. Even if my automail was still hurting, I’d remember to laminate it.”  _ Was he talking about the pressure buildup or was it from an injury he hadn’t caught? _

“That’s good. The Colonel would probably make you redo it.”

“Probably? Of course he would. The bastard wouldn’t miss a chance to ruin my day.” Sometimes, Al felt the same way. _ Why did he have to send brother off on such dangerous missions? He may be a state alchemist, but he was still a kid. _

When they finally arrived at HQ, Mustang greeted them with a quirked eyebrow and a not-so-discreet once over. “Alphonse. Fullmetal. What exactly brings you here today?”

“Mission report,” Ed answered stiffly, trying to hide his embarrassment at his position.

“Well, lets see it,” the man responded tiredly. “To be honest, I thought something was wrong with the both of you. You never make sure to be on time while handing in these things. I actually have a running bet with the rest of the team on whether or not you’ll show up two days late or three.”

“Har har, very funny. So do you want to take this or not? I’ve got better things to do.” Ed handed over the paperwork to his superior, returning his hands to Alphonse’s head once more.

“Like what?” Mustang asked, “Playing a game of piggyback with your brother? I could use some help sorting files, you know.”

Alphonse cut in before Edward could yell the other man’s ear off. “The rain puts brother’s automail at the risk of rusting. I’m carrying him to at least keep him away from the puddles.”

His brother rounded on him with a betrayed face. “Alphonse, how could you?”

Ed, luckily, found a new target of his ire.

“Well, we wouldn’t want you to drown in them, now would we.”

“Okay, that’s it, you overgrown, slimy, two-faced-”

“Brother!” He had to physically tether the blonde to his shoulders to prevent a homicide. “Have a good night Colonel.” Alphonse was sure his embarrassment showed through his voice. “Edward and I will be off now.”

As soon as they were out of sight of the building, Alphonse sifted his brother’s position from his shoulders to his chestplate, hugging him close.

“Al, what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry, brother. It’s just… that you really scared me.” Ed, having noticed this desperation in affection, stopped all remaining struggles, choosing instead to melt into the metal embrace as best as he could.

And if that didn’t send a pang through Al’s  heart chest. He might not ever get to hug his brother again with his human arms. To ever feel his brother’s warmth and love.

“You’re getting older, Ed. And that means that you’ll be going on more missions with more dangers. And one day, what if it’s too much? What if you don’t make it back?”

Edward frowned and, for once, the disappointment was pointed towards him. “I’m not going to die, Al.”

“You almost did, Ed! And what if I wasn’t there to protect you!”

His brother looked up, golden eyes meeting his own soulfire gaze. “Nothing would have happened.”

“You can’t say that.”

“I can, because I know that, if I did, I’d be leaving you all alone.” Alphonse had looked away, but something about his brother’s tone brought him back. “And I couldn’t do that. Not without making sure that you’re safe and happy and comforted.”

His voice trailed off.

“Right now, you aren’t. Not while you’re still stuck in that body I put you in. So i won’t just roll over anytime soon.”

Alphonse felt a fluttering of happiness at Edward’s words, but it was twisted with the bittersweet realization that they were a false security.

“That’s not your choice to make.”

Edward sighed, “Maybe not but... more than anything, I want to get your body back. I want to live to see it. I don’t want to have to look down from whatever place counts as the afterlife and watch you experience that without me.”

“If you want my happiness and my wellbeing a fraction as much as I do you, then you’d know that your own happiness is what would make me more content than anything. I can’t trust that you’ll ever fully be happy until you get your body back. Therefore, the only option is to keep trying. Trust in me and my tenacity to get back what was stolen from you.”

The ever accompanying, ‘and your body too,’ was forgotten at Edward’s words. Because this is what he had been telling himself the whole time, repeated back to his face. His brother would never be truly happy unless he was happy himself.

He squeezed his brother tightly. “Okay,” he said.

“Okay.” The reassuring clang of metal against metal rang in the streets. Edward had pounded his automail against Al’s chestplate. “We should probably stop worrying about this stuff, all it’s going to do is make us sick.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah? Okay, well could you let me back up there?”

Al started, the moment ruined. “Up… where?”

“Onto your shoulders, you idiot. If I’m going to stay alive a bit longer than I gotta prevent my automail from rusting. The rain’s already pushing it. Winry will probably have my head if we don’t get them dried soon.”

“Oh… right! We should probably get home soon!”

“Well, what are you waiting for?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm. So I don't know how to feel about this chapter. I am torn between like and very strong dislike. But that may just be because I had a planned out idea and threw it out last minute. Tell me what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own FMA or FMA:B

Al spent the majority of the first few days sitting in his hospital bed with the company of his brother, teacher, and all of the wonderful people he'd come to know. Even his father was there to visit once, although he left shortly after.

He occupied himself with relaxing in the warm, fuzzy blankets, and taking in the smell of flowers and sweets his visitors left for him. Unfortunately, he couldn't eat any real food for now as his body was not ready for it, but he was salivating at the thought.

Those first few days were just about that happiest in his life. Even the walks to the restroom weren't that bad. With his muscles so atrophed, he wasn't supposed to do anything that strenuous for months, but he was determined to do it. The exhaustion tugged at his limbs, making them feel like they were transmuted into giant lumps of metal, and he couldn't be happier for it.

The best part wasn't even the senses he'd worked so hard to experience. No. The best part was that his brother would be right alongside him. He'd smile at Al so genuinely, guiding him gently by the arm, a lingering touch of heat still burning hot even after his fingertips left the skin. The blinding smile set loose dopamine into his brain, his physical brain, allowing him to experience the bliss even more so. Whenever Edward made eye contact he felt drugged on euphoria, because everything - EVERYTHING - was finally going to be alright. So yes, those short walks were the highlights of his days.

I took two whole weeks before he could even stomach soups, and when the warm liquid touched his tongue, he almost fell off of his hospital bed in surprise. What happened after was that he dissolved into a fit of laughter, he never knew food could be _this_ amazing. Ed was there to steady him the whole time.

Physical training was hard, Al couldn't deny that. Sometimes it sucked all the life out of him after just bending over. There were times where he walked two feet and it felt like a marathon and his good mood was almost ruined.

But his brother was always there to steady him.

On particularly bad days he would hardly get two inches before toppling over. Before he could reach the ground, however, a firm body would be underneath him, arms already tucked around his legs to carry him piggyback style. Alphonse would tease good-naturedly (to get Edward back for all the times he'd fought him), talk about how he didn't need to be babied, but it was really nice for the situation to be reversed for once.

Now he could relax in his brother's hold. Now he could finally _feel_ his brother's heartbeat when his head pressed to his chest. It almost felt like Ed hadn't been injured at all, with how gently he cradled him.

"Brother," he said one day, after they had gotten ice cream from the hospital cafeteria, "how long until I can carry you?"

Ed got a funny face at that, telling him that he hadn't recovered yet and how even if he was, it was still the older brother's job to take care of the younger.

Alphonse took that as a challenge, sneakily putting his ice cream down and going for the tackle. "Al!" His brother went down with a screech, landing painfully on his butt. Taking advantage of Ed's surprise, Alphonse was able to partially get his brother on his shoulder before his muscles gave out, panting.

"You idiot!" Edward was in front of his face now, checking him over for any sort of injuries. "You could have messed up all your hard work."

Al felt his face heat up (and the fact that he could blush now was something his brother mercilessly teased now), and ashamedly turned his head. "It seemed fun at the time."

"That's not a good excuse and you know it."

"Okay, okay. Can you just help me up now?"

Ed looked at him exasperatedly, with his hands on his hips and everything. "No," he said.

Al looked up. "What? Why?"

"Because-" Alphonse felt his shoulder being tugged and he thought his brother was giving in, but- "We need to take you back to your room and get your arms looked at. I'll carry you so that you don't harm anything else."

"Brother, I'm fine-"

He was interrupted by the sight of a pink tongue poking out of his brother's lips.

"Real mature." There was no heat behind it. In fact, Al didn't even struggle as his center of gravity lifted, signalling him leaving the ground. Instead, he snuggled into his brother's back, letting strands of golden-blonde hair tickle his nose. The steady warmth that came off of his brother's back was relaxing, and he found his eyes closing, drifting off into a half asleep, half awake state.

"You comfortable up there?"

"Mmm."

Edward laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

There was a slight bouncing as Ed took his steps, but Alphonse didn't care. It only relaxed him further. He found it cozy with his face half-buried in his brother's cotton shirt.

_It feels real nice to be carried like this. By you._

There was a slight squeaking and then Al was rotated, placed on the plushy mattress bed. He turned his head a little, nestling into the cool material of his pillow.

Ed must have thought he was asleep, because a weight settled at his side and fingers began playing in his hair, smoothing it out in the way his mother always did.

When he finally spoke, Alphonse could feel the fond smile on his face, radiating off of him. "I'm so happy that you have your body back. Love you, Alphonse."

_And I you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's finished! Lots of love to everybody who read and enjoyed this fic! I had a fun time writing this and reading everyone's reviews.


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